


Enough For Both Of Us

by willsister3



Series: Asterope Au [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, F/M, How Do I Tag, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28019232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willsister3/pseuds/willsister3
Summary: “Daisy! Daisy, can you hear me?!” Simmons’ words bring me back from my frazzled thoughts.“I’m sorry, what did you say?” It can’t be right. I heard her wrong, that’s it.“Oh, Daisy.”  And the look on her face tells me that I did hear her right, that that is true. Her next words confirm it. “ You’re pregnant.”AU Post-Season 3
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Amanda Campbell & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Lincoln Campbell/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Agents of SHIELD Team, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Original Character(s), Yo Yo Rodriguez & Skye | Daisy Johnson
Series: Asterope Au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052306
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part in a longer series I'm planning which will hopefully continue on through the rest of canon and beyond. I will stick mostly to the canon timeline with a few changes long the way to fit the story better. This work will fit into the hiatus between the seasons 3 and 4. I made the hiatus here 3 months longer, and the hiatus between seasons 4 and 5 will be 3 months shorter, so that everything still lines up.
> 
> This is my first fanfic (Ambitious, I know) and I already have the whole thing written out. I will post 2 chapters every few days.

Shock. That’s all I feel when she says it. That’s all I can feel, when she’s saying this. Because there’s no way this can be true. Not that she's ever been wrong before. But this can’t be right. It just can’t be, I-

“Daisy! Daisy, can you hear me?!” Simmons’ words bring me back from my frazzled thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” It can’t be right. I heard her wrong, that’s it.

“Oh, Daisy.” And the look on her face tells me that I did hear her right, that this is true. Her next words confirm it. “ You’re pregnant.”


	2. Chapter 1: Decision

6 weeks. I’ve been pregnant for 6 weeks. That’s what she says. I still can’t believe it. Even if I had gotten pregnant 6 weeks ago, everything that has happened since then would surely have put an end to that matter. But apparently not. Simmons agrees that it is extraordinary, but she just shrugs it off saying “”What about Inhumans isn’t?” Really? That's all she has to say?

I have no idea what to think, how to react. I ask Simmons not to tell anyone else yet, and then go back to my quarters to figure it all out.

It is only upon arriving that I realize that this is the first time I’ve been in here since the night I left to join Hive. In the 2 weeks since his defeat, I’ve slept in containment or the medbay. I haven’t been able to face going back for even a moment. Simmons or May or Yo-Yo have had to get me clothes.

I find that with the exception of the clothes they got me from my S.H.I.E.L.D. issued dresser, nothing appears to be any different from the last time I was here. The bed is unmade, various items strewn across the floor, just how we left it that morning, the day we went to go find James. Me and Lincoln. That last normal morning. 

And here I am, 6 weeks later, pregnant with his child, while whatever is left of him is left to the vacuum of outer space. 

I sink down onto the floor with a sob, as wave after wave of grief and guilt and uncertainty roll over me. His child. Lincoln would have loved to have been a father. And now because of me, he won’t ever get to. My fault. I didn’t think it was possible to feel worse about his death, but I was very, very wrong.

What on earth am I gonna do? I have no idea how to be a mother. Especially since mine was such a great example. On top of that is the knowledge that even if I did know how, now would be the absolute worst time. I’m in no state to have a child, let alone by myself. 

Then there’s the nagging thought that everyone around me suffers, that wherever she goes death follows. I’ll admit that I’ve recently considered just up and leaving, going “Screw it” and vanishing in the night. It would be better for the team if I wasn’t around to cause them pain. 

But I can’t do that now, I realize. I can’t stand to give up my child, Lincoln’s child, and have them go through the same thing I did, always wondering about my parents, always missing them. I can’t just run away with them, because I’m pretty sure that being alone with me, especially right now, is pretty much the worst sentence you can give someone. I can’t even think about the other option. Which only leaves one more choice.

I’m going to keep my baby. And I’m going to stay with S.H.I.E.L.D. I know that the team will be more than willing to help me. I just hope that having them around will be enough to spare this kid the worst of it. And that I’ll be up to it.


	3. Chapter 2: Revelation

After I come to my decision, to keep my baby and to stay, I sleep in my own bed for the first time in weeks. It isn’t easy to venture further into the room than where I had sunk down in the doorway. I don’t want to disturb anything. Everything about this room will remind me of him. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Eventually, after tiptoeing around everything and many tears, I fall asleep wearing one of Lincoln’s shirts.

The next morning, I enter the common area to find that, somehow, the entire team is there at once. Good. I don’t think I have the strength to get them all together, or do this more than once. 

I clear my throat to get their attention, and seeing me, they all fall silent. Fitzsimmons look up from their tea over by the kitchen, Mack from his cereal at the table, and May and Coulson from what looks like paperwork on the couch. Elena returned to Colombia a few days ago.

Quickly and without preamble I say, “I’m pregnant.” Fitz, Mack and Coulson look at me with a mixture of shock and concern. Simmons has that doctor look, the one says, “I’m waiting to react until I see how you feel about this.” But May is the best. She simply gets up, walks over and hugs me, without saying a word.

Coulson decides to put me on desk duty, which is silly because I already was on desk duty for obvious reasons, but I don’t say that out loud. The team each finds little ways of helping me. Holding my hair back when I have morning sickness, sliping me junk food when Simmons isn’t looking, or just being there to play video games when I can’t sleep. They really are quite honestly the very best people in the world about it, taking care of me but not smothering me.

I on the other hand am what I believe scientists call a hot mess. I feel so many conflicting emotions at once, more than I ever thought possible. I try to keep it together, but there are days when I can barely handle everything, despite having been ok to do it the day before. I don’t think all the hormones coursing through my bloodstream are helping. 

Then, about a month after I found out I was pregnant, I find out something else.

“What do you mean you’re stepping down?!”

“Exactly that.” Coulson replies calmly. I don’t understand how he can be this calm. He explains how we’re becoming legitimate again. Since Coulson is supposed to be dead, he can’t exactly be the face of the agency. “ And quite frankly,” he adds, “ I don’t think the president trusts me anymore. At least this way, I can have some say in my successor. I’ve told them it needs to be someone the public can trust. And I want them to be Inhuman.”

And there’s nothing any of us can say to dissuade him. He says the new director will be here in about a month or two. I get a feeling of foreboding every time I think about it. I try to tell myself, “They’ll be Inhuman, this is good, this’ll build trust” but deep down I know, they could be the greatest new director ever, but they’ll never be Phil Coulson. I’m barely handling things as it is, without uncertainty about a new leader. The fact remains that I don’t know this person, and therefore, I don’t know if I can trust them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These first 2 chapters are mostly plot. Going forward, each chapter will focus on Daisy and one other current member of the team (Sorry, Yo-Yo doesn't get a chapter in this one, but she will get a lot more focus in the next part of the story), interspersed with a few other plot chapters. 
> 
> Next up: May and Then Simmons!


	4. Chapter 3: Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter turned out shorter than initially intended. I tried for a long time to come up with more, but eventually I accepted that it apparently wasn't supposed to be any longer. I've really come to love it though, I think this really is true to the character. May has always shown her feelings through words more than actions. Hope you enjoy!

I’m still reeling from Coulson’s pronouncement this morning. A new director. It doesn’t escape my notice that we are now up to 3 directors in as many years. We really seem to be going through them. 

I’m sitting in my bunk, trying to focus on some work and silently cursing the ideas about timing the term “morning sickness” will put in your head. It’s 10 o-clock at night, damn it. I shouldn’t be nauseous. Simmons says it will pass soon. I certainly hope she’s right. 

I hear a knock on my door and May’s voice saying “Daisy? Are you there?”

I get up and open the door exasperatedly. May is standing there in her pajamas with a cup of tea. 

“Simmons said it would settle your stomach.” she says, as if that explains everything.

I roll my eyes.“Of course Simmons said that. And I already told you May, you don’t need to stay here.”

“And I already told you I wasn’t asking. Let me in and drink the tea.”

I sigh, take the cup and allow her entry. The tea really does help and we settle down for the night, me in the bed and May on the small couch in my room. Such has been our routine for the past month. I always say she doesn’t have to, and then let her in anyway. Despite my insistence to the contrary, we both know I’m grateful to have someone there in case I wake up with morning sickness. Or nightmares. There’s a fair amount of those too.


	5. Chapter 4: Worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, I know Simmons isn't technically an MD, but like *gestures vaguely*. It worked in the story better. Everyone else acts like she is, and Daisy would trust her more than others so, eh. 
> 
> Also this chapter is like a lot longer than the previous ones. I guess I was just feeling really inspired.

The first time Simmons gives me an ultrasound might be the most bittersweet moment of my life. When I see my baby, I instantly feel so much love, but it's accompanied by the knowledge that Lincoln should be here, that he deserves this more than I do and the fear that I’ll fail, which would feel like failing him and our child. And of course the guilt, the voice in my head that says, “How dare you be happy when Lincoln is missing this and it’s all your fault?” I get a pang of all these feelings every time I think of my baby, when I feel them move for the first time, when I start to notice my bump getting bigger. 

Today promises to be one of the worst/best days yet. I have an ultrasound, and Simmons says that today, I can find out the gender of my baby. I try to feel excited and ignore the negative feelings. It only kinda works. 

And then there’s tomorrow. The new director is coming. I’m certainly not looking forward to that.

At eighteen weeks pregnant, I’ve gotten to the point where my pregnancy is starting to get more noticeable, but everyone around base already knows, so no one is surprised when they see me, except for the occasional rookie or agent returning from a long assignment. I do, however, get pitying stares everywhere I go, which might honestly be worse. I’m already dreading the one the new director will no doubt be sending me when hears about my situation.

This morning, I step into the lab to meet Simmons and find her deep in conversation with Fitz about something. Typical. It takes me a minute to get her attention, but the second she realizes it's me that’s here, she immediately shoos Fitz away and takes me back to a more private area of the medbay. Fitz gives my shoulder a short squeeze as I pass by him.

“So how are we feeling? Physically, I mean.” Simmons asks as she gets the equipment ready. She learned a long time ago never to ask that question in the other sense. 

“Well last night, this one apparently decided my spine was the enemy. Only explanation for how hard they were kicking.”

She gives me a fond smile. “Well I’m sorry to tell you that the kicks will probably only get stronger, especially as the baby grows and it gets more cramped in there.” She doesn’t give me a chance to respond before continuing. “ Ok, I think we’re all set up. Daisy, are you ready to find out the sex?”

“I guess so”

As soon the picture appears on the machine I feel the familiar conflicting emotions. I try to fight them back while she scrutinizes the picture. It takes her a minute to get the right angle, but she soon pronounces. “It's a girl!’

“Really?”

“Yes and she looks perfectly healthy.” And then she goes on to talk to me all about the little girl's development. It's almost a relief to find out it's a girl. Of course it doesn't really matter to me, I’d love them either way, but it’ll be so much harder to mess them up on my own if it’s a girl. 

That’s when it occurs to me. I’m halfway there. In 18 more weeks, I’ll have a baby. And I have no clue how things are gonna change tomorrow with the new director.

Simmons seems to notice the change in my demeanor.

“Worrying about tomorrow?’ She asks. 

“Among other things” I reply. “It’s just… I’m pretty sure I can handle just about everything he might send my way, but I’m not sure If I can handle how he’ll probably look at me. With so much pity. And even beyond that I just.. I’m just wondering what will happen after the baby is born. I thought we would stay here, at least at first. I definitely have to deliver here, I don’t wanna make a hospital collapse if I can’t control my powers, but what if he doesn’t let us stay after that? What’ll I do then? And that’s not even to talk about the actual parenting, how to raise a child, how I should balance things once I return to the field, or even if I should at all. I mean, this kid already doesn’t have a father, and I don’t want to make her an orphan. And then I think, maybe she’s better off without me anyways, I mean it’s my fault... it’s my fault Lincoln’s dead in the first place, and now I’m a mess and everything’s a mess, and.. Oh, God”

It’s as if her comment opens a damn and all my worries come pouring out. She doesn’t seem fazed in the least, as if she was expecting me to have an outburst like this at some point. In fact, I get the feeling she’s surprised I haven’t burst out with all this sooner. She lets me talk myself out and then calmly responds.

“Daisy, I’ve never been a parent, so I can’t entirely understand what you’re going through. But I can tell you this: No one is ever prepared to have a kid, much less in these circumstances. You are so strong and so capable and you have so many people to help you. I know you will be incredible. As far as where you would go if the director didn’t let you stay, it’s not like you have no options. For god’s sake, Daisy, Amanda is moving down here next month specifically to help you, she’d never turn you away. And it’ll never come to that anyways, Daisy, because as long as I’m still here there's no way anyone is ever kicking you out. I can promise you that. About going back to the field, well you don’t have to decide all that now. You have time. Every new parent worries about that. Well, not exactly that but you know what I mean. I can’t promise you won't make her an orphan, but can anyone ever really promise that? And lastly,” She looked at me sternly “Don’t you ever think your child is better off without you, that any of us are. What happened to Lincoln was Not. Your. Fault. It. Was. Hive. Yes, you’re kind of a mess right now, but anyone in your situation has every right to be as much of a mess right now as they want. It’s not like you’ll be doing this alone. No, you won’t have a partner, but you’ll have me, and Fitz, and Coulson, and May, and Mack, and Amanda, and Yo-Yo and everyone else. You can do this.”

Everything she says makes perfect logical sense, of course. I know this. It’s just so easy to get sucked into my own worries and pain, and there’s still a part of me that’s not convinced. That just wants to run screaming from this place. But she’s right. She’s right and I couldn’t be more grateful. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m off the table and hugging her through tears.

“Thank you, Jemma.” I say and try to push all my feelings into that short three word phrase.

“ Oh, nonsense.” She replies, ignoring the fact that I’m getting that ultrasound gel stuff all over her sweater. “It’s nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed these chapters.
> 
> Next up is a chapter about Coulson, then one that focuses more on Daisy and Lincoln and the baby.


	6. Chapter 5: Memory

After my meeting with Simmons, I head up to see Coulson. I want to talk to him about tomorrow. I walk into his office to find him putting all his stuff in a box. Of course. After tomorrow, this won’t be his office. And I won’t have to call him “Director” anymore. He’ll be “Agent Coulson” again. 

“Hey, Daisy. How’d the ultrasound go?” He says when he notices me in the doorway, and I know he’s just eager to find out the gender.

“Oh, great.” I say, almost enjoying keeping him on edge, “Simmons says the baby is perfectly healthy…. And that it’s a girl.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah”

“That’s great, Daisy.”

“Yeah. Hey, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. What's supposed to happen?”

He seems reluctant to change the subject but replies, “Well, the new director will be here around 10. I want the whole team to be there in the hangar to greet him. And after that… well I suppose after that is up to him.”

“I guess it is.” I pause thoughtfully. “It’ll be really weird to call someone else Director.”

“It probably will be. But hey, we’re S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. ‘Weird’ is our specialty. “

I smile. It’s almost like something he would have said back when I first met him, before-

My smile becomes forced, as my mind spirals through all the bullcrap we’ve been through. “Weird” doesn’t even begin to cover it. I think back to when I first joined S.H.I.E.L.D, when it was just the 6 of us on the Bus. When the most “weird” we had to deal with was people who claimed to be psychic, and mysterious drugs. Then suddenly my mentor was a Nazi, I was part-alien, a rock ate my best friend and my stupidly heroic boyfriend had to fly a plane to space to stop a psychotic space squid from turning the whole planet into Inhumans. Somehow, all that became normal. 

“Yeah. Our specialty.”

Just like Jemma had earlier, Coulson sees that I’m thinking about not so good things. But instead of addressing it, he throws me off completely by saying, “ Hey, do you remember that time we went after an 0-8-4, and May ended up having to sing nursery rhymes to keep it from eating Fitz’s head? Or when Yo-Yo used her powers to switch out Joey’s milk for boiling tea? Or when that guard at that Hydra lab started to get awfully close to Bobbi’s position, so Hunter charged up to him and started asking him if he knew where Hunter could find Hogwarts?” 

“Uh, yes?” I say extremely perplexed. “What does any of that have to do with.. oh.” His meaning hits me like a ton of bricks. All of those incidents were moments where something funny or good happened because of the bizarre nature of our work. I realized that for each terrible memory I have from my time at this place, I have a good one. It certainly doesn’t make up for all the crap that’s happened, but it helps. I’m suddenly very glad I came to see Coulson.

“Those were… interesting incidents, sir. Thanks for... reminding me.”

“I thought you might feel that way. You're welcome. Now,” He says seriously. “What was this about a girl?”


	7. Chapter 6: Storytelling

That night I go back to my quarters exhausted. We had been very busy this afternoon trying to get everything ready for the new director to arrive tomorrow. I flop down on my back on the bed and sigh.

The room is almost exactly like it was 3 months ago. It’s a little neater, but all of Lincoln’s stuff is still here, as if I'm expecting him to come walking back in and pick up the book he was reading like nothing had happened. Maybe a part of me is. Regardless, I hadn’t been able to get rid of any of his things. 

There are a few new pregnancy and baby things laying around, but aside from that, there is nothing to suggest that any time has passed. I finally got May to stop sleeping in my room after my morning sickness stopped being so bad, but she did move into Bobbi’s old bunk across the hall from mine, which no one said anything about, not even May herself. 

My conversations with Jemma and Coulson earlier helped me some, but I still have a long way to go before I can say I am in any way fine. However, I do feel marginally more hopeful. 

And that’s when I remember something else Jemma told me during that little doctor’s appointment. She had said that I was getting to the point where the baby could start to hear people talking outside, and distinguish between voices. 

I don’t know why this is occurring to me now, but now that it has, I can't stop thinking about it. I know she can’t understand me, but I want her to know her father, to have all the stories I have, of missions and moments in between, right from the start. Feeling sort of silly, I look down at my belly and I start to talk.

“Hey there. I’m Daisy, I’m.. I’m your mom. I can’t wait for you to get here. It’s just gonna be you and me. I love you so much.. And… and I’m sure your dad would have loved you so much too. He was incredible. And I’m gonna tell you all about him…”

And I keep talking. Crying. Telling my little unborn daughter about her beautiful, smart, kind, brave, talented father. And when I’ve told her everything I can think of I finally open the drawer that has been closed for months and take out a picture. I tell her about how her Aunt Yo-Yo took it when neither of us were looking, and we got so incredibly mad at her, but then took the picture back and put it in a frame on the table in our bunk anyway. I had shoved it in the drawer that first night back in this room, unable to stand looking at both of us so happy, so carefree. I now put it back on the nightstand. And for a second I manage to convince myself our little family is complete.

Tomorrow will bring a lot of changes, whether good or bad, but tonight, I fall asleep in that same old shirt of Lincoln's, not worrying about the morning, but reminiscing about better times, and maybe, just maybe, healing a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing these chapters, I hope you enjoyed reading. 
> 
> Next Time: Mace arrives, and then it's the Fitz chapter


	8. Chapter 7: Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update. I was going to do it this weekend, but then life got in the way.
> 
> I would like to apologize in advance for my little joke in the first paragraph, I couldn't help myself.

We all stand silently, watching the plane land, and Coulson walk over to greet the new arrival. Myself, Fitzsimmons, May and Mack. All our highest ranking agents. Ready to meet our new boss. 

I interlace my fingers under my baby bump and observe the new director as he is led over by his predecessor. He is supposed to be Inhuman, but I don’t yet see anything that suggests what his power might be. Not that it's always that obvious.

“Agents, this is Jeffery Mace, our new director.” Coulson begins, “ Director, these are our top agents.”

“Allow me to introduce you to Melinda May. She’s our head specialist, and during my time as director, she served as my second in command.”

“Director.” May gives a curt nod.

“Agent May.”

“This,” Coulson continues, “ Is Alphonso Mackenzie, our head mechanic, and one of our best field agents. He’s also in charge of alien artifacts.”

“Good to meet you, sir.”

“And you, Agent.”

“Drs. Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons, the heads of our science department.”

“Pleasure, Sir.”

“The pleasure’s mine.”

“And last but not least,” I brace myself. “This is Daisy Johnson. She’s the head of our computer science department, as well as our top Inhuman Asset. Although she’s not in the field at the moment, obviously.”

“And why’s that?” Mace asks, as though genuinely curious.

“Because I’m 4 months pregnant, sir.” I say.

“ Oh, of course. Congratulations, Agent Johnson.” 

“Thank you director.”

I'm not sure what he was playing at there. I'm standing here with my hands wrapped around an obvious baby bump and he's acting like he didn't notice. Was he trying to be polite?

"It's always a pleasure to meet another Inhuman.” I say trying to move past the awkwardness. 

"Of course, same here." Why does he suddenly seem uneasy? "Well, it's good to meet all of you. Agent Coulson and I are going to complete the tour and then I'll meet with each of you individually to discuss your departments. You know, just to get caught up. You're dismissed."

It takes every lesson May ever taught me not to groan out loud at those orders. Mace seems friendly enough, but I was dreading today as it is without having a private meeting with him so soon, although now that I think about it, I should have seen it coming. Of course the new director will want to meet with the department heads. But “catching up” with my departments will probably require me to tell about some incidents I would rather not revisit, or at least discuss the reports on them.

I head off to get some work done and try not to think about the meeting. I don’t have to wait long, though, because after he finishes the tour and briefing with Coulson, I am the first one Mace calls into the director’s office. That does surprise me. I had expected him to talk with May first, seeing as how she was the highest ranking of all of us under Coulson. 

I knock on the door to the office, and receive a “Come in,” from the other side. I enter to find Mace seated behind the desk with a friendly smile. He says “Agent Johnson, Welcome. Please sit down.” and waves at the other chair, the one I have inhabited on many previous occasions, but which now seems a lot less comfortable. 

“Now I just want to get some paperwork done, and kind of familiarize myself with the day-to-day operations and important past events of your departments. Then we can let you get back to it."

“Of course, sir. Where would you like to start?”

“Well Agent Coulson warned me that your departments, especially the Inhuman Assets department, would be hardest to catch up with, so I’ve read a few of the reports about some important past missions, and was wondering if we could discuss some of them, going all the way back to when S.H.I.E.L.D. first encountered Inhumans, maybe get some of your perspectives.“

“Well that is... all a very long story, and we can certainly talk about some of it, but unless you have a lot of time, you will probably have to rely more on the reports.”

“Oh, of course, I don’t want you to recount every single last detail about everything. Just the biggest hits, so to say.”

We talk about the past, hitting on the important milestones, starting with a brief retelling of my family history with Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. and ending with a very brief account of the take down of Hive. I try my hardest to distance myself from it all, staying very clear of the most personal and emotional bits. It takes everything I have to discuss all this all calmly. He seems to realize this, and is very polite about it. After four attempts to calmly talk about that awful day on the Zephyr, I have to tell him to read the files or ask someone else. He seems to understand, and allows the conversation to move on to the more mundane day-to-day stuff. 

Logically I know all of this is necessary for him to be an effective director. But that doesn’t make it any easier. At least I don’t end up having to explain everything with Lincoln and the baby to him. He’ll find out at some point, whether from someone else or from the files, but for now I’m just grateful I don’t have to deal with the look of pity on top of everything else. 

“Thank you Agent Johnson. This really helps me understand all this better. Now we just have one final order of business to attend to. As you know, with my appointment, S.H.I.E.L.D. is once again becoming an agency of the U.S. government. As such, we will have to comply with the decisions and agreements that the government makes. This includes asking our Inhuman agents and assets to sign the Sokovia Accords.”

At first I think I've heard him wrong. The Sokovia Accords? Hadn't Coulson told Talbot we weren't doing that? I wasn't here when it happened, but I thought Yo-Yo had mentioned something. 

"Sir, wouldn't signing the Sokovia Accords mean I wouldn't be able to use my powers?"

"It would just mean we wouldn't be able to send you into the field for minutiae anymore. But let me assure you, Agent Johnson, when it really counts, you'll be there. We just need you to sign and then we can put you on the register. I promise only people with proper clearance will be able to look at it."

Every instinct in my body screams not to do it. My experience with the Enhanced Index showed me that lists like these are never a good thing. But what choice do I have? I get the feeling that if I don't sign it they would probably kick me out of the Agency. So I sign it and listen while he tells me to report to the lab later so Fitzsimmons can get me registered. But before I leave I ask him, " Did you have to sign it, sir?" I still haven’t figured out what his gift is, despite trying to hint at it while we were talking about the Terigen Outbreak. He’d responded by asking about ATCU. 

"Of course I did. Good Afternoon, Agent."

"Good afternoon, Director."

I was right to think that things would change a lot under the new director. Everyone ends up divided, doing different jobs. May gets put in charge of training a new strike team. Simmons gets a promotion and starts having to take daily lie detector tests. Mack and Coulson and the Zephyr get sent on long assignments looking for new Enhanced people and Inhumans. Now I only see them every few weeks. Yo-Yo moves to L.A. 

There are new agents on the base everyday. Protocol has become king. It is almost impossible to get anything done around the director’s “Spectrum of Security” which no one really understands. Everything seems to be classified these days, and it takes forever to get authorization to do anything.I don’t think any of us really trust Mace.

I put in a lot of hours at my desk in the computer science department and working with Inhumans. And yet I still feel like I could be doing more. The Watchdogs are still out there, and although I’ve been trying to start doing something about them, my higher up colleagues have been less than cooperative. So Yo-Yo and I may or may not be doing a few things on our off time that aren’t strictly sanctioned. But hey, it’s not like she’s using her powers and a little hacking never hurt anyone. Well, not the one doing it anyway.


	9. Chapter 8: Conversation

It's been 3 weeks since Mace took over the directorship. Everything is being reorganized. Last week Mack and Coulson got sent out on Z1, leaving May and Fitzsimmons behind at base with me, although they might as well be gone too, for how much we get to see each other these days, since we’re all so bogged down with paperwork and extra assignments and helping with the transition to the new director. I mean, we run into each other in the halls, and we still work together, but there is no time to just hang out and talk about non-work related things anymore.

That’s why it’s so welcome to finally get a night off. I’ve managed to get all my work done for today and Elena is busy so we can’t engage in our new “hobby.” I’m even more pleased when I walk into the common area to find Fitz sitting in front of the gaming console. 

“Hey, Fitz. You mind some company?”

He jumped, having apparently been so focused on his game that he didn’t realize I was there. “Oh sorry, Daisy. No, I don’t mind.” He said, pausing the game and handing me a controller. 

I plop down on the couch next to him and we have what is probably our fist casual conversation in weeks. 

“Jemma and I are thinking about getting a place together off-base.”

I beam at him. This is the first bit of good news I’ve had in awhile. “No way! Why didn’t you say something? I’m so happy for you guys!”

He smiles. “Thanks.”

“Oh that reminds me.” I shift closer to him on the couch. “ Amanda is headed down here next week. Her stuff is arriving the day before she will. I hate to ask, but is there any way you could get away for a bit and help me get it all to her new apartment? I don’t want to just trust the movers, and Mack was going to come along, but then he got deployed. It’s okay if you’re too busy.” I add quickly.

“I’m sure I can get away for a few hours. It's the least I can do.”

“Really? Thank you, Fitz. For everything.” I think about everything I’ve been through with Fitz and everything he’s done for me, from making sure I felt welcome on the Bus, to being there for me through everything that has happened over the last few months. 

“Of course. What are friends for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Up next: Amanda finally makes an actual appearance, and then it's the Mack chapter!


	10. Chapter 9: Sisterhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just to be clear, in this story Amanda Campbell is not an Inhuman, but she knew what her brother was, and found out about S.H.I.E.L.D. after he died. She's a few years younger than Lincoln and had just graduated college when he died. 
> 
> Also I know that so far this story has been written in the present tense, but this is kind of like a flashback, I guess.

The first time I interacted with Amanda Campbell was about a month after Lincoln joined S.H.I.E.L.D. We were in the common area watching a movie when his phone started ringing. 

“Who is it?” I asked curiously. 

“It’s my sister.” He answered, “ Hey, Amanda, what’s up?’

He talked to her for a few minutes and I went to get us more popcorn. When I came back he was saying “What can I say, Mandy, I told you Mom wouldn’t find it funny. It’s not my fault you never listen to your older brother.”

Lincoln had mentioned his sister Amanda a few times before, a fond look on his face. I got the feeling they were pretty close, especially as kids.

“Can’t really blame her, Lincoln, you give terrible advice.” I said teasingly, thinking she couldn't hear me.

I was proved wrong when I heard a muffled voice saying “Who’s that?”

“Oh, right you guys haven’t met yet.” He put the phone on speaker. “Daisy meet my sister Amanda, Amanda meet my girlfriend Daisy.”

“Daisy, it's so good to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you from Lincoln.”

“All good I hope. That’s all I've heard from him about you. Nice to meet you.” 

And thus was the beginning of something beautiful. I got along well with Amanda. In fact, we got along so well, I get the feeling that Lincoln may have regretted introducing us, especially once we realized our shared passion for teasing him.

We talked on the phone many times after that, but in a cruel twist of fate, the first time we ever met face to face was at Lincoln’s funeral. I didn’t mean to run into her. In fact, I hadn’t planned on ever talking to her again. Her brother was dead and it was my fault. I couldn't stand to cause her anymore pain. But she sought me out, and gave me a hug that I was afraid to return. She didn’t seem surprised. 

Even after that, I didn’t want to speak to her. I was too wrapped up in my guilt, and grief and self loathing. But as soon as I found out about my pregnancy, I wanted to reach out. I called her a few hours after I told the team, thinking that Lincoln’s family deserved to know, and it would be easier to tell Amanda first than her and Lincoln’s parents.

What I certainly didn’t expect was her saying “ Where do you live?”

“Um, on a secret base?” I replied, extremely confused at the abruptness of her query.

“No, silly, what city do you live in? I’m moving there.”

“What? No you don’t have to do that! I mean, you just graduated and-”

“Daisy, I’m a writer. I can work from anywhere. I was thinking about leaving Cincinnati anyway, moving to a new city. This isn’t up for discussion. Where. Do. You. Live?”

“D.C.” I mumbled.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

“D.C.” I said, louder and clearer this time.

“Then it’s settled.”

And it was. She was determined to move here, and no amount of me insisting she didn’t have to would change her mind. She was almost as stubborn as her brother. And though I would never admit it, I was glad.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I overslept. Of course I overslept. Amanda’s flying in today and I overslept. I would have slept longer had May not realised she hadn’t she hadn’t seen me this morning and come to check on me. Thank goodness for her. Stupid alarm clock, it must be broken. 

So now I’m standing in baggage claim, looking slightly let put together than I would have liked, having rushed to get ready in time so as not to miss her. I see her come out of the gate and call out, “Amanda! Over here!”

She walks over scowling fondly. “I told you you didn’t have to pick me up.”

I hug her and say “I wanted to. And anyways, by the time you said that, I’d already taken the day off. Come on, I’ll take you to your apartment. Your stuff arrived yesterday.”

“Ok, but then we are going to go to lunch and catch up.”

“Catch up? Amanda, we talked on the phone last night.”

“And five seconds ago you said you had the day off. Rookie mistake.”


	11. Chapter 10: Assembly

"Hey, Tremors."

I look up from my paperwork in surprise and see my old partner beaming at me.

"Mack, when did you get in?" I leap up ( or as much as I can, being 6 months pregnant) and hug him.

"We just touched down. It's wheels up again at 6."

I look up at him in surprise. "Six? But it's 3 now."

"Yeah. I know. But we gotta get back out there. The director says-"

I roll my eyes."Where's Coulson?"

"He's just finishing up the report, he'll be in in a minute. How have things been here?"

"Oh, you know. Paperwork. More paperwork. Doing check-ins. Paperwork. Routine software updates. Did I mention the paperwork?"

"I know what you mean. I swear we have to fill out a form just to use the bathroom on Z1."

We laugh some, but it's strained. I suddenly notice he's looking at my bump with a strange look in his eye. Almost like worry. And maybe some pain.

"How uh, how's she?" He says, gesturing at my midriff and attempting to sound casual.

"The baby? She's fine. Simmons says she's meeting all her milestones."

"Good to hear."

"Thanks. Now the only problem is figuring out how to put that crib in my bunk together." I say jokingly, trying to lighten the suddenly tense mood.

"I can help you." He says quickly. One look tells me he's deadly serious. 

"What, no you guys have to be back in the air soon. I can't ask-"

He says "It's nothing Tremors." And before I can object he's heading determinedly off toward my bunk. I struggle to keep up with his long strides.

Half an hour later, despite my protestations, he's assembled the crib and the changing table I had in my room. He tries to do more, but I manage to get him to go get a shower and a nap before he has to depart again. I'm not sure what's been with him lately. At the beginning of my pregnancy, he was kind of a mother hen, but no more than anyone else. However as time has gone on, he's gotten more and more protective. He's so worried about me and the baby, and yet, somehow I get the feeling that it's not really about us. There's something else going on there, but I don't want to press. 

I try to push the mystery from my head and go catch up with Coulson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!   
>  I hope you enjoyed these chapters. I'll have the final one up on Sunday or Monday.


	12. Chapter 11: Birth

The next 2 months go by quickly in a blur of paperwork for the director, prenatal visits with Simmons, preparing myself for motherhood, hacking Elena’s asset watch so that we can do the things that need to be done that the director won’t do without him knowing, and, whenever my busy schedule allows it, visits to Amanda.

Today is going to be another busy day, but a good one. The Zephyr is touching down at H.Q. for resupply. The last time I saw Mack and Coulson was that time 2 months ago when they had only been in for a few brief hours. This time however, they’re supposed to have a few days of well earned leave. It’ll be good to catch up. 

I get up and slowly start to get ready. At 8 months pregnant, it’s getting harder to move around. I find myself thinking Just one more month. I’m very much looking forward to that day. And also dreading it. And feeling angry at myself for feeling happy. And sad about the people who won’t get to be there. And lots of other things, most of them contradictory.

I make my way to the common area for breakfast and find May sitting at the table, drinking coffee and doing paperwork. Of course. She still gets up at 5, even if I’ve stopped doing it with her due to the small person my body is currently growing. “Morning” she says as I walk in.

“Morning, Ma-” I’m cut off by a sharp pain in my abdomen, and all the dishes on the shelves start shaking. Both things subside after a moment.

She’s on her feet and by my side in less than a second. “Daisy, are you ok? Was that a contraction?”

“What?! No it’s too early, I still have another month to go.”

“It was something. We’re going to see Simmons.” She says in a tone that I know not to argue with. 

She practically pushes me to the lab. It’s empty, which makes sense considering it's 7 o’clock in the morning. She barely stops for a second before turning and dragging me in the other direction. It takes me a moment to realize where she’s taking me.

“May, we can’t just barge into her quarters at this hour.”

She says, “The hell we can’t” and hammers on the door.

“May, it was probably ju-” and it happens again. This time the doorframes on both sides of the hall rattle, some dust shakes loose from the ceiling, and several agents stick their heads out their doors to see what’s going on.

“You were saying?” May comments sarcastically as Simmons opens the door. When she sees me and May there she seems to realize what’s happening immediately and says “Meet me in the lab in 5 minutes.”

“We were just in the lab.” I whine as Simmons goes to throw on some clothes and May leads me back down the hall the way we came. 

An hour later we’re in a containment room and they’re helping me through another contraction. We had decided months ago that this was the safest place for me to deliver, since it could contain my powers. I'm glad we did. I get the feeling that the base would already have come down on our heads if we hadn’t. 

I’m worried. She’s coming too early. Simmons says she’s fine, that people deliver prematurely all the time, but I’m not entirely convinced. I’m progressing quickly, and Simmons says that in another hour or two I’ll have my baby. I’ve never been so excited or missed Lincoln so much. The room is shaking so violently, they had to tie down all the medical equipment. 

It’s just me, May, Simmons and a nurse named Blanchard. No one else could withstand the tremors. May hasn’t left my side since the first contraction began, even though I know she has a crap-ton of work to do. And I’m grateful. 

Almost as if to prove Simmons wrong, my baby waits another three hours to make her appearance. And she’s perfect. Healthy. Beautiful. 

Blanchard helps get her cleaned up and then steps out to get the birth certificate and give us a moment. 

“She’s gorgeous Daisy.” comments Jemma.”Do you have a name picked out for her?”

“I do. Asterope. It means lightning. Felt... appropriate. I wanted to honor him, but I didn’t want to name a girl Lincoln. I came across it on a list one day and I knew it was perfect. And her middle name’s Philippa. Asterope Philippa Johnson-Campbell.”

Jemma gives me a smile and May an approving grin. Those reactions alone make naming her after Lincoln and Coulson worth it. Not that there was ever any doubt that I would name my daughter after her father and the man who had been like a father to me. Lincoln was a hero in every sense of the word, and despite the long, tiring deployments he’s been on, Coulson still makes the time to call almost every night to check on me. 

There’s shuffling out in the hall and then Blanchard steps in to say “The Director sends his congratulations, Agent Johnson. Agents Coulson, Mackenzie and Fitz are here.”

“Thank you, Agent Blanchard. You can leave the paperwork and take a break.” Says Jemma.

She nods, and then moves out of the way for the guys to come in, leaving the papers on the table.

It turns out that Mack and Coulson just touched down half an hour ago, and they had rushed down here as soon as Fitz told them the good news. They all love her first name, and Coulson cries when he hears her middle one. No almost about it, he straight up cries and has to excuse himself. They all fawn over Asterope, and I let each of them hold her briefly. When it's Mack's turn, I see that look in his eyes again, the one that shows a pain that probably isn't to do with the child in front of him, but something else. 

After a little while Simmons shoos everyone out saying we need our rest and I find myself alone with my daughter. My heart threatens to burst with love. There’s grief there too, but in a different way. I have in no way moved on. I still have a long way to go. But this child in front of me is a piece of him and a piece of me. I promise to love her enough for the both of us, and hope that’s enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for the first story in my AU! I'm still working on the next part and the way my writing process works, I have to have the whole thing finished before I can post anything, so it'll probably be another month or 2 before I post again. I may post something else I'm working on before then, but it's unlikely. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


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